Viking Beliefs Flashcards
What term did Christians use to describe non-Christian beliefs?
Pagan
‘Pagan’ refers to the polytheistic beliefs held by the Vikings.
What type of belief system did the Vikings follow?
Polytheistic
This means they believed in many different gods.
Who was Odin in Viking beliefs?
Ruler of Asgard and god of wisdom
Odin was associated with knowledge and had ravens that brought him news.
What was Thor known for?
Protector of Asgard, god of wind and weather
Thor is the son of Odin and wields the hammer Mjolnir.
Who is Freya in Viking mythology?
Goddess of war and women, especially childbirth
Freya was depicted as a warrior who rode a chariot pulled by two black cats.
What was Valhalla?
Odin’s hall for Viking warriors who died in battle
In Valhalla, warriors could drink, play games, and fight each other.
What was Ragnarok in Viking beliefs?
The final battle where everything would be destroyed
Known as the ‘doom of the gods’.
Where did everyone else go after death, according to Viking beliefs?
Hel
Hel is a place in the icy North; it is not necessarily a negative place.
How did Vikings worship their gods?
Through jewelry, blot, and burial practices
They inscribed symbols on jewelry and offered sacrifices to the gods.
What is blot in Viking rituals?
Offerings or sacrifices to the gods
It included valuable items thrown into lakes and sometimes human or animal sacrifices.
What were jarls and bondi buried with?
A variety of grave goods, including weapons, clothing, and jewelry
These items were placed in burial mounds.
What happened from the 9th Century onwards concerning the Vikings?
Christian missionaries began to visit and convert them
This marked the beginning of Christian influence in Viking territories.
Fill in the blank: The discovery of Greenland is documented in the _______.
Saga of Erik the Red
This saga recounts the Norse exploration and settlement of Greenland.
